As the popularity of network communications increases, more and more communications service providers are offering their services to potential subscribers. A person wishing to purchase and use a wireless device (e.g., mobile phone, PDA, etc.) often is forced to choose among several service providers that offer various services and products. Once a subscriber selects a particular service provider, competitors may attempt to lure the subscriber away from her selected service provider by offering lower prices, more network time, free devices/features, etc. In the past, many subscribers balked at switching service providers because switching service providers also typically meant switching phone numbers, resulting in inconvenience to the subscriber.
However, with the advent of industry-wide number portability, subscribers of mobile communications services are allowed to retain a particular phone number while switching service providers and/or service regions. For example, a subscriber currently with Carrier A can keep her phone number even after switching to Carrier B's services.
Number portability is not free of problems, however. Because switching service providers becomes more or less invisible to the subscriber when the subscriber's phone number stays the same, there is an increased likelihood that unethical service providers or other unethical parties may attempt fraudulent and unauthorized switching, thereby harming unsuspecting subscribers.
The headings provided herein are for convenience only and do not necessarily affect the scope or meaning of the claimed invention.
In the drawings, the same reference numbers identify identical or substantially similar elements or acts. To easily identify the discussion of any particular element or act, the most significant digit or digits in a reference number refer to the figure number in which that element is first introduced (e.g., block 302 is first introduced and discussed with respect to FIG. 3).